Snohomish County deputies fatally shoot Lake Stevens man

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A 35-year-old Lake Stevens man who had been described as suicidal was fatally shot by Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies Sunday night after a brief confrontation in which he aimed a gun at officers, authorities said.

The victim’s wife called 911 at 8 p.m. Sunday to report that her husband was “suicidal and wanted the police to kill him,” according to Kristin Banfield, communications director for the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team, which investigates officer-involved shootings.

The woman told dispatchers that her husband had gone bird hunting but she did not know where, Banfield said in a statement released late Sunday.

A little less than an hour later, her husband’s vehicle was spotted in a gravel parking lot near 51st Avenue Southeast and 20th Street Southeast on Ebey Island, Banfield said.

Deputies tried to persuade the man to come out of his vehicle unarmed, but he was not “compliant” and came out holding what deputies said appeared to be a weapon, she said.

Three deputies opened fire, Banfield said, and the man was declared dead at the scene. A firearm was recovered, Banfield said.

The deputies who were involved in the shooting — a sergeant with 10 years on the force, a deputy with 12 years, and a deputy with two years — are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Banfield said.

Once the investigation is complete, the results will be forwarded to the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office for review.